The Beauty and the Freak
by giftiebee
Summary: He was the neighborhood freak--she was the resident beauty. A chance storm brings two opposites together. Fewshot. Jeff/OC
1. Freak Meeting

**Surprise! Hey All :)**

**This story is entirely for one of my besties--Chaz. Most of you know her as Charlie (from all our fics) or simply as Queen Chaos-Hardy. I love her to death and have been torturing her with this for months now. All of you are lucky she hasn't carried her butt across that stupid ocean to strangle me yet!!! ;) haha, kidding...**

**I felt so badly about making her wait so long, that my muses have decided to make up for it. Charlie, this is my second surprise for you: this is going to be a fewshot. My muses have run wild with this, and I've decided to just go on and give you a bit more. I love ya Chaz (yes, I've officially adopted this as my nickname for you)!**

**Enjoy everyone, and let me know what you think so far :)**

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Charlotte was thrilled to be home after her long work day. A major storm was coming in, threatening to shut down parts of the city with snow and hail. North Carolina wasn't used to such weather—hence why her office was closed tomorrow. Charlotte spent the whole day dealing with clients and trying to et ahead to avoid the drama when they got back to work.

On her way home, Charlotte noticed that the strange man down the road was back. She didn't know much about him and wasn't in a hurry to correct it. All she knew about him was that he was always traveling (he came back for only a couple of days each month) and was the strangest looking man in the neighborhood. His hair was always a different color (usually dyed more than one color at a time), his facial hair had bizarre designs in it, there were tattoos and piercings for days on his visible body, and his clothes were fairly eclectic. For the most part he kept to himself so no one else knew much either.

Charlotte went to change into some yoga pants and a ballet sweater before starting on dinner. A normal Monday night would warrant a TV dinner, but she had all the time in the world tonight. Charlotte dug some chicken out, along with vegetables for the side. She poured a glass of wine as she cooked dinner—sipping on it and basking in the night.

She sat down to eat her dinner, and when she finished, curled up with a new book. She noticed the storm getting fiercer outside. The wind was howling and she could hear the hail on the roof. The longer she read, the worse the storm got.

Charlotte was deeply engrossed in her book when she heard an extremely loud pop. She jumped out of her chair and ran to her front porch. Thanking the gods for her luck, Charlotte walked back inside. The power in half of the neighborhood had gone out when a transformer was struck by lightening. There was no way she would have been comfortable that night with no heat—it was freezing outside.

She was quickly brought from her thoughts by a knock at her door. Shocked was not enough of a word to describe Charlotte as she opened the door. She couldn't help but wonder how it was her luck that the man she was most afraid of was standing on her porch, soaked from the rain. "Umm, can I help you?" He wiped some of the water from his forehead before it could drip in his eyes anymore. "Hey, I'm Jeff. I live a few houses down—right at the end of the road. Look, I know we don't know each other, but I'm one of the lucky ones to lose power. I really hate to ask you this, but could I maybe crash here tonight? I would go to my brother's, but I don't feel comfortable driving in this weather." Charlotte just started at the man in front of her, unable to form words from her shock. This man, Jeff, sounded normal—she thought his accent was cute. _What did I think he was going to sound like?!?_ "Umm, well it is really cold out here."

Charlotte shuffled her feet somewhat, stalling for a few seconds, and a thought raced through her mind bringing a smile to her face. "You're not some crazy person are you? Like, you're not going to kill me in my sleep or anything, right?" Jeff laughed and shook his head, "I'm harmless outside of the ring." He noticed the confusion on her face and clarified. "I'm a professional wrestler. I work for the WWE on the RAW brand." Charlotte cocked an eyebrow at him not knowing what he was talking about. "Okay? I don't know what that means really. Come on in—you're soaked. I have some clothes that might fit you alright. You can take a shower to warm up if you want. I'll throw your clothes in the washer if you leave them outside the door. When you're done I'll make some cocoa or whatever if you want." Jeff smiled and nodded as eh followed her inside. "I really appreciate this." _She's so beautiful…and nurturing._

Jeff grabbed a quick shower while Charlotte washed his clothes. She didn't have any shirts for him. Charlotte didn't like looking sloppy. The only time she wore baggy shirts (meaning anything less than skin tight) was post-sex when she stole the guy's shirt to walk around the house in. Luckily her last boyfriend left some sweatpants at her house. She laughed thinking Jeff was luck she didn't throw them out. Charlotte started on cocoa and made some sandwiches thinking he might be hungry. _Why am I doing this? I don't even know this guy. He's the neighborhood freak for crying out loud! Oh my…_

As Charlotte second-guessed her actions, Jeff walked into the kitchen wearing only a pair of baggy sweatpants. All questioning thoughts fled her mind as she continued to stare at the man in front of her. _Well, he's not horrible looking._ He had a little bit of chest hair as well as a small happy trail leading down past the waistband of the low-slung pants. He wasn't ripped, but he had abs. Surprisingly enough, the tattoos were turning Charlotte on. She couldn't help but imagine what was hidden under those pants. _This was a bad idea. I cannot want him!_

Jeff half-smiled when Charlotte dropped the knife in her hand. She was staring at him with lust-filled eyes. He gave a breathy chuckle thinking about how many times he had checked her out but never made a move. _I'm never home, and she probably thinks I'm as weird as the rest of the neighborhood does._ He never did the whole 'social neighbor' thing. Jeff liked peace and quiet on the few days a year he got off. Every time he came home he worked on new projects on his land. It never failed that she would come outside at least once while he worked. This girl, Charlotte, always wore skin-tight clothing—usually something fairly feminine. Most of the time when she checked her mail, she would pause to look in the direction of his house—probably curious about who he really was.

Jeff felt himself growing nervous under her stare. "Thanks for letting me borrow these. I really appreciate you letting me stay here. I really should have introduced myself when I moved in last year. Things wouldn't be as potentially awkward now." Charlotte snapped out of her trance, embarrassed and praying he didn't notice. "Well, I could have done the whole welcoming party thing and gone to you as well. Let's just forget it. We can get to know each other now." Jeff nodded and helped her carry the drinks to the living room.

Charlotte curled into the side of the couch under her blanket while Jeff ate his sandwich on the opposite end. He finished and covered up with another blanket. Charlotte studied him trying to feel him out. He seemed harmless enough. _Why have I been avoiding him this whole time? It's not like I've seen him doing anything bizarre before._ Charlotte realized she'd been caught staring and tried to play it off. "Umm, I'm Charlotte by the way. I don't think I ever told you my name." Jeff smiled. The name fit her on the outside. She was always dressed nicely—fancy work outfits always paired with heels or tight-fitting workout clothes. The artist in him thought it didn't fit her personality though—wild and crazy. "Do you go by Charlotte normally?" She nodded in response. It had always garnered respect from colleagues. "Would it be cool if I just called you Charlie or Char? I feel like you're more of a Charlie anyways." Charlotte was taken aback by this. Her parents had always called her by her full name. Actually, nobody had ever called her by a nickname before. "I guess. If I don't respond right away it's because I don't recognize it." Jeff laughed and promised to be patient the first few times.

Another loud pop of lightening struck outside, and Charlotte shivered. Jeff noticed and was feeling a bit cold himself due to the lack of a shirt. "I could start a fire if you want. Do you have any firewood?" Charlotte felt badly—Jeff must be a bit cold. "Yeah, it's in that wood box next to my back door. Here, I'll help you." Jeff put his hand out to stop her. "No, I'll get it. Consider it part of my thanks for letting me stay here." She nodded and sat back down on the couch.

Jeff brought some wood in and began building a fire. Just as he went to put the last piece on, he let out a loud yelp. Charlotte jumped off the couch and ran over to him. "What happened?!?" Jeff was shaking his hand—something Charlotte noticed. "Let me see your hand." She touched his flailing arm which quickly stilled from the shockwaves Jeff felt. "Come on. You have a nice splinter in your hand. Follow me." Jeff was so stunned that all he could do is follow. She sat him down on the edge of the tub while she pulled out tweezers and hydrogen peroxide. Charlotte kneeled in front of him and gently pulled the small fragments from his skin. She remembered her mom blowing on her wounds when she was little so made sure to do the same for him to avoid the sting when she poured peroxide on it. "Do you want a band-aid, or are you too macho for that?"

Jeff wasn't sure where his courage suddenly came from. "No, I don't need one. I think it would feel much better if you kissed it though." Charlotte almost dropped the bottle of peroxide as she put it away. _Is he serious? Oh, please be serious._ "Excuse me?" Jeff panicked for a moment then decided to play it cool. "My mom used to kiss my boo-boos better. It works—I'm telling you." Charlotte nervously giggled. "Really now…and did you just say 'boo-boo'?" Jeff merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Please, Char, it hurts."

She shook her head at him and once again kneeled in front of him. She gently took his hand, pulling it closer to her. Jeff held his breath as he felt her lips lightly touch his palm. Charlotte pulled away and moved to stand up, but Jeff was too fast for her. He reached out to her face and shoulder, holding her where she was. Charlotte gasped softly as his thumb began stroking her cheek while his other moved to mimic the movement on her other. Jeff slowly leaned in to Charlotte as she realized what was about to happen and felt her eyes close slightly in anticipation.


	2. Beautiful Beginning?

**He All! Here it is Chaz--the conclusion to one of your fics :) It's a bit different from anything else I've done. You'll see what I'm talking about.**

**Thanks for reviewing and alerting: Snapp DDT, StudentofDust, JL2009, cassymae, 68 stones from a broken heart, JCEdgeRKO, SunnyLee, Hatter-Zombie, DevineChaos, Enigmatic Lotus Leaf, straightedgechck, -Kat McLeod-, rita louise evans, Queen Chaos-Hardy, xtobelovedx, TeamExtremeFan, and minicat14.**

**I'm really excited that a few new people discovered this story! I always love new readers, and you all are awesome!!**

**To Hatter-Zombie: Just go for it! You'll never know until you post it and see ;)**

**Thanks in advance to everyone who will read and hopefully review the conclusion to Beauty and the Freak.**

Jeff pulled Charlotte closer against his body as she put a hand on his knee to steady herself. She could feel his breath on her face and closed her eyes in anticipation. Just as Jeff's lips were millimeters from hers, a loud 'crack' shook the house, leaving the pair in the dark. Charlotte had jumped from his grasp in fright at the sound and ended up on the bathroom floor. She heard a metallic sound before she saw a small flame hovering towards her. "Char, you okay?" She moaned a bit at the slight pain she felt as she moved. "Yeah, I'm fine. What are we going to do? The whole neighborhood must be out of power now. It won't be long before this house feels like an igloo." Jeff sighed in agreement and noticed the minimal amount of light emitted from the lighter flame made Charlotte look more angelic than usual. "Come on. Here, grab my hand. We'll just have to get all of that wood inside and keep the fire going all night. I need you to get any flashlights you have here so we can find our way around without further hurting ourselves." Charlotte nodded at the plan and let Jeff help her up.

It took a good hour to move the firewood and manage to locate a couple of flashlights along with a few extra batteries just in case. It was so cold outside that by the time they finished the house had an eerie chill to it. Charlotte decided to run upstairs to grab a few spare blankets and pillows to stay warm. When she made it back downstairs, Jeff was attempting t burrow in the couch. Giggling a bit, she tossed a heavier blanket over to him. "Here, this one is better. I just checked on your shirt. I'm really sorry, Jeff—it's not nearly dry yet." He nodded with a sad look on his face. "It's not your fault—you tried." Charlotte joined him on the couch, snuggling up on her own end. The pair sat in silence for a while just watching the fire.

Charlotte looked at Jeff from the corner of her eye thinking about what would have happened had the power not gone out. _I wonder what the neighbors would say if they knew about him being here. Do I really like him? I was completely fine with him about to kiss me…hell, I wanted him to. Maybe I'm coming down with something._

Jeff stared at the fire cursing Mother Nature for her timing. He had never been that forward before and wasn't sure he had enough courage to try it again. _Then again…she does bring out a different side of me. Who knows what will happen._ Jeff felt an intense chill run through his body. The house was getting surprisingly cold in a short matter of time.

Charlotte was thinking about whether or not Jeff would make another move. She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt the couch moving underneath her. "Are you okay, Jeff?" He looked over at her and instantly realized he couldn't lie to her because she knew something was wrong. "The fire isn't helping much—I can't really feel the heat over here." Charlotte decided then and there that for the first time in her life _she_ was going to make a move. "Come on then. Help me move the table so we can push the couch closer."

Jeff and Charlotte quickly rearranged the furniture. Jeff burrowed under his blanket relishing in the increased warmth. Charlotte decided it was now or never and put her blanket on top of Jeff. "Char, you have to have a blanket still." She silently sucked in a small breath and pulled the two blankets back from his body. "Char, what are you—?" Charlotte slowly climbed under the blankets with him, cuddling into his side as she brought the blankets back up to cover them. "I'm a bit cold too. I figured the extra body heat couldn't hurt, right?" He nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet. Charlotte smiled against his chest as she listened to his heartbeat. _I don't think I've ever cuddled before. Not like this at least._ Jeff relaxed a bit and realized he had started stroking her hair. He instantly stopped and apologized. "Actually, it was kind of nice. I don't mind." He breathed a sigh of relief and resumed his movements on her head.

Charlotte was curious about what Jeff really did for a living. She had no idea what he had been talking about earlier. "Jeff, what did you mean when you said you were harmless outside of the ring? Wrestling—is that like boxing?" Jeff chuckled and shifted himself on the couch so that Charlotte's back was against the back of the couch and he was pressed against her. He propped himself up on his elbow and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Pro wrestling is sports entertainment. It's a bit like boxing I guess—without all the blood. We have writers and everything for storylines, stuff like that. The WWE—my company—is the main wrestling group, and we travel all over the world doing shows." Charlotte crinkled her nose in confusion. "So…you're not really fighting? People watch it anyways?" He smiled at her, thinking it was cute she knew nothing about his world. "It's complicated. We are fighting, but we don't actually make contact with our hits. Sometimes we do his each other on accident, and in some matches when we have props there is real blood. And yeah—people love it!" Charlotte smiled at his excitement. "Maybe one day you can show me?" Jeff draped his arm across Charlotte's side and promised to bring her to one of his shows.

Charlotte couldn't help but yawn. "I'm kind of sleepy. Do you mind if I maybe take a nap?" Jeff laughed and pulled her body closer to his. "Char, let's just go to sleep." She moaned in agreement and snuggled against him, placing one arm under her head as a pillow and the other against his chest. It didn't take long once her eyes closed for her to drift off to sleep.

Jeff laid awake watching Charlotte sleep. She closed her eyes and was possibly more beautiful sleeping. He loved the feeling of her chest rising in quick, even bursts against his. Every now and then her eyelashes fluttered as if she were having a pleasant dream. He felt himself drifting off to sleep as well when she slightly stirred and rearranged herself. He once again brushed away her stray hair and smiled at himself. _How could I possibly fall for her so fast?_ He decided then that he wanted her to be his. "Hey, Char, tomorrow I'm going to ask you on a date. You should say yes." He chuckled, thinking about what the neighbors would say if they were to actually date. "I'd love to Jeff." He looked down at her not realizing she actually heard him and grinned at her answer. He briefly wondered what the future held for them before resting his chin on top of her head and falling asleep himself.

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